By Teresa Herriman

The Courier-Herald

Sumner High School band director Joe Carl believes when a student joins band, he or she brings his or her family along.

For Carl, band has always been a family affair. His wife Ellen is the color guard adviser for Sumner High.

They met while in marching band at the University of Michigan “and have been inseparable ever since,” he said.

“She's into it as deep as I am.”

This year, their whole family was involved in band. Brad, will be a junior at Sumner High School. He plays the saxophone. Brother Evan will attend seventh grade in the fall, playing his trumpet for the school band.

“They've been born and raised band kids,” their father said.

Under Carl's leadership, the 85-member Sumner band and color guard accrued numerous awards once again this year, which poses a unique problem for the band director. Carl began hanging the banners his band won on the wall of the band room in 1991. Now, there's no space for the five new banners his group earned this year.

“I'm not complaining,” he said. “It's a great problem to have. I'm very proud of these students.”

Carl recalls previous years when the Sumner High band was as large as 150 members. Carl said the numbers change each year depending on the cycle of students fed by the district's three junior high schools.

New band members don't have much time to acclimate. Their first performance is the first Friday of the school year at the Puyallup Fair.

“Students have to adjust quickly,” Carl said. “They learn to hit the ground running when they get here.”

Band members begin the school year as a marching band; entertaining at sporting events and competing in field show contests. In the winter, the students head indoors - some making instrument adjustments - to play concerts and attend symphonic band competitions. During the summer, many volunteer for a summer marching band that combines junior high and high school students.

“They are impressively dedicated,” Carl explains.

But for dedication, it's tough to beat the jazz ensemble. The first group begins rehearsal every day at 5:55 a.m.

“We're swinging by about 6 a.m.,” Carl said.

At 6:40 a.m. the second group meets.

In spite of the early hours, musicians jam the tryouts for the group.

“Students are glad to give up their sleep to be in this group,” Carl said.

If his students think their schedule is tough, they should try following their leader for a day. After the two early morning classes, Carl heads to Bonney Lake Elementary to teach band to fifth and sixth graders. Then it's back to the high school.

A band director doesn't work typical 9-to-5 hours.

Each year the band participates in regional events and several big trips. This fall, the band will participate in parades at Bremerton,Wash., Poulsbo, Wash., and Victoria, British Columbia, over a three-day period. But the real treat will be the Cherry Blossom Parade at the nation's capital in April.

At the events, the band is scored based on performance and appearance. Inspections prior to the parades include everything from uniforms to instruments and count towards the overall score.

For a marching band, the weather can be the enemy. Most of the time, it's the rain, but at the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival, it was the heat. Despite temperatures in the upper 80s, both the Sumner band and color guard took first place honor in the 4A division.

Carl said his philosophy is “balanced excellence” meaning to excel at all times and all levels.

“I just love to see a band that does well on all levels,” he said.

Carl also teaches his band the importance of representing the school while attending various functions. It's a lesson this year's group has taken to heart. Recently Carl received an e-mail from a woman who had been a customer in a grocery store in Vancouver, Wash. The band had stopped to grab a quick bite while still in their uniforms after the Portland Rose Festival Parade.

“She was really impressed with what she saw; how they represented themselves,” Carl recalled. She was impressed enough to locate Carl's e-mail address and write him a note.

“I think students have a lot of fun in this group,” Carl explained, saying band is a team activity.

“It's a great challenge and a difficult thing to do well,” he said. “It's really gratifying to see them excel.”

As the band director, Carl said his challenge every year to say goodbye to graduating students, then start over again with a new group.

“We spend a lot more time together than most classes,” he said. “It seems like a long year until you get to now and think, 'Wow, that went fast.'

“This years group was really exceptional. Outstanding students and exceptional people,” Carl said.

Teresa Herriman can be reached at therriman@courierherald.com